A recent article by “INDEED” discussed “Which Generation is Most at Risk of Losing Work through Job Automation? Broadly speaking - management, professional and service occupations fall into the non-routine category while - sales, administrative, construction, transportation, production and repair occupations are considered routine. So which generation shows the most interest in jobs which are more susceptible to automation? Millennials and Generation Xers are significantly more interested than boomers in cognitive occupations. The younger job seekers tend to be more interested in jobs that involve a lower degree of routine tasks, a characteristic that often makes them harder to automate. The majority of job seekers in all three groups under consideration – Millennials, Generation X and Boomers – show interest in some routine occupations. However, the two end generations (boomers and millennials) show significant differences in taste Boomers tend to be 49% more likely than millennials to show interest in a wider range of routine manual occupations that include installation, construction, maintenance and repair, transportation and materials moving, as well as personal care occupations. With the exception of Personal Care, these occupations fall into the group of jobs most associated with a high likelihood of automation in the future. Millennials have an above average level of interest in jobs in office administration and food preparation (routine) as well as arts, education and the life, physical and social sciences (cognitive). With [...]

When considering employment, if a prospective employer does NOT ask you if you have previously had any workers’ compensation claims or have previously suffered any injuries which could affect your ability to work, you do not have a strict obligation to disclose any injuries to them. However, with today’s legislation, in the modern workplace, both employers and employees have an equal obligation to ensure the health and safety of ALL workers whilst at work. So as a matter of workplace health and safety, if you have an injury or condition which might affect your ability to do the job safely (whether you have lodged a workers’ compensation claim in relation to it or not), some may argue that you SHOULD disclose that injury or condition to the prospective employer even if they do NOT specifically ask you about it. If the prospective employer refers you for a pre-employment medical, the doctor SHOULD ask you about any existing or previous injuries which could affect your work, and you SHOULD disclose those injuries (although not necessarily whether you claimed workers’ compensation or not). The overriding issue should be the safety of yourself and other workers at your workplace. If you have an injury which may affect that, then you SHOULD disclose that injury to your prospective employer. The prospective employer should NOT be asking whether you [...]

A recent report (Daily FX) stated that the record trade surplus accompanied by the pick up in business sentiment may generate another “better-than-expected” employment result. This positive development may spark a bullish reaction in the $A as it boosts the outlook for growth and inflation. Australia added another 13.5K jobs in December following 38.3K jobs expansion in the month prior. These rises were made up of 9.3K full time roles and 4.2K part time positions As December/January are our lowest employment months, we can expect continued growth as we move into the year ahead. The jobless rate is still at 5.8% and when you consider that over 3% are unemployable, we are still up there on the World scale. And where are these jobs? What sectors are expanding? Which ones are contracting? A Senior Manager in the Recruitment Sector recently reported on the overall positive growth across all Sectors: Specifically: Up 19% Child Care; Aged Care: Disability Care (these are obvious sectors) Communications; Up 14% Hospitality/Waiting Staff/Baristas; Professionals such as : nurses, Accountants, Teachers, IT Providers & Software Programmers Up 9.3% Sales, Real Estate, Cashiers, Pharmacy workers However the sectors expected to see job losses aside from mining, manufacturing and agribusiness include: Down from 18% in 1990 – 14% in 2015 (of total workforce) Clerical, General Accounts and book keeping, Credit Control, Data Entry/Management and Reception. [...]

I was recently speaking with some associates from the NSW Business Chamber. We were discussing the results of the latest recorded (July-Sept) Quarterly Survey of Businesses here in NSW. The survey has indicated that NSW Businesses have sustained increased confidence in their businesses and the NSW economy. This has been demonstrated by increased revenue, profits and decision to make new capital investments and hire new staff. Half of the NSW businesses have reported hiring staff in the last quarter. This is partly because orders were up – increased sales – thus promoting greater investment on the part of businesses. Also staff have greater confidence in the economy and candidate movement was up. Many companies have indicated that increasing sales through better marketing was a priority and this sentiment was mirrored in the fact that skills demand in the sales, marketing and social media areas were the most sought by business. We DID have a short slow down from mid Sept to end October but here at Southside Staffing Solutions, we have found renewed confidence again from the beginning of November. No doubt these figures will be reflected in the NEXT quarterly report. Although their businesses are progressing positively, some of our clients have indicated a degree of hesitancy in taking on PERMANENT staff throughout this current quarter and into the first quarter of 2017. However, they do not [...]

First of all, you got the interview! CONGRATULATIONS! Now you’re getting ready for it and pre-interview anxiety is healthy and if used right can help sharpen your focus. Here’s a list of things to help guide you and keep the jitters under control. 1. Give yourself credit. You got the interview, that’s more than the majority of applicants can say. Pat yourself on the back - they are already interested in you ! 2. Be Prepared. Research the company and the role. Go through the job description and ensure you are able to justify your experience with each of the responsibilities and qualifications. Be prepared with specific exampless. Remember you can never be over-prepared. 3. Practice makes perfect. Organise your thoughts, write them down, and practice with a friend or mentor. The best sports people in the world review their performance, you can do the same. 4. Sleep well. Get some good nights sleep leading up to the interview as the night before might be a restless one. 5. Avoid negative thinking. Prior to the interview picture yourself being hired. 6. Don’t fear rejection. Think about the sheer number of interviews versus offers. There are many aspects that you can’t control: chemistry with the interviewer, internal candidates who are normally viewed more favourably, and candidates from direct competitors. Don’t fear rejection, use this as a learning experience and perfect your interview [...]

IS THE CUSTOMER ALWAYS RIGHT ???? The old adage we have always been taught in business is that THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT !!” Well – after 35 years in business I beg to differ and to disagree ! We are all working to build a PROFITABLE business – but aside from “Profits” we want to “enjoy” working in our business also ! Dealing with the wrong or difficult clients and companies can certainly impair your business experience and your business growth ! One of the most important aspects to a working relationship between you and your client is “mutual respect”. I believe that if there is not a mutual respect between you and your client then that relationship is not going to be a good one! Sadly in this day and age, many business operators are … ● Not ethical ● Fly by nighters ● Users ● Have no intention of paying ● Never satisfied ● Want too much ● Don’t pay on time or adhere to Terms of Business/Trade ● Are rude ● Are disrespectful of you, your staff and your business. ● Time wasters You do not have to put up with this ! You can direct your time and efforts (money) into working with better companies with better management teams and practices. About 15 years ago, a large company who we [...]

Aptitude: (Skill-set) - Ability; Capacity; Talent. So which is more important when selecting new staff to join your team members ??? Which Attribute (just to confuse things further!), will better serve your team or fit in with your team? Can we differentiate? - Should we differentiate ? In my personal experience with over 25 years in the Employment game, my “mantra” in assisting Jobseekers find new Jobs and in assisting Employers find new Staff is: CAN DO : WILL DO : WILL FIT Aptitude or Skill Set: is the “Can Do” – the skill set or ability to complete the tasks Attitude or Mind Set: is the “Will Do” – the right mind set or behaviour to complete the tasks Aptitude PLUS Attitude: is the “Will Fit” – the ability to do the task, the mind set to do the task and the right approach and manner/behaviour to fit into the team and the company culture to work towards the future goals for the business. What should you consider FIRST ?? – What is the MOST Important ?? When seeking a new employee? Again, in my experience, I have found that SKILLS can be learnt, developed and built upon IF the employee has the right approach or manner ! If the employee has say, intermediate MSWord or typing skills or perhaps a general knowledge and experience in Accounts Payable, but is [...]

If you are seeking Permanent / Full time work or even Temporary / Contract work, you will find that there are greater opportunities for you in the “New Year” season and again in the “Spring Time” season. New Year Season: With the return to work after the Christmas Holiday break, there is great activity in the job market with Employers looking to employ more and new staff to build their businesses and teams for greater growth in the forthcoming year. Likewise, following the Christmas Break and with “New Year Resolutions” rebounding all around, job seekers make the decision to “Change their lives” by changing their jobs and seeking either greater fulfilment or greater incomes to improve their lot and build their futures! So traditionally, from the end of January, more permanent jobs become available and more vacancies occur as people start to change and move around. This snowballs right through with a fairly positive and consistent employment market through to the Easter Season / Holiday break. Similarly, the “Temp” market is strong during this “New Year / Summer” season when staff are more likely to take leave and employers are often testing the market to see who/what is out there. Often they will employ people as temps to determine if, in fact, their business does require more/new staff. We find it quite common for our clients to offer our temps a full [...]

The short answer to this question is - YES !!!! There certainly are “seasons” for employment throughout the Calendar year. These seasons are created by two factors – Holidays and Financial Year – so if you are “seeking work” or “seeking staff” , you need to take this into consideration. Traditionally most Companies and Industries experience a slow down over the Christmas / New Year period. Previously when Australia still had a strong manufacturing focus, many businesses closed down for approximately 6 weeks from mid December through to end January. Recent decades and changes in Industry focus to a more “Services” oriented sector, has seen this Christmas “slow down” drop to between 1 – 3 weeks just over the Christmas and New Year period. So there is less JOB AVAILABILITY !! Companies often will not recruit at this time as they do not want to pay Public Holidays, Penalty rates, etc over this period. (Obviously with the exception of the Hospitality, Tourism and Retail sectors). Often there are not enough staff available to induct and train new employees and a general period of business slowdown is not the right time to on-board them. Likewise there is a DROP in staff availability and people seeking work at this Holiday time. People want to spend school holidays with their families. Their focus is on the Christmas [...]

So you’ve heard this term bandied about, but just What IS The Triple Bottom Line - and what does it mean for you ? “TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE" was first coined in 1994 referring to “The Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century Business” It refers to the 3 “P’s” – ● PROFIT (Corporate - P & L): ● PEOPLE (Staff - how socially responsible both within the organisation and without): ● PLANET (The Environment –impact of usage, product and pay back) Profit refers to the “Traditional Bottom Line”. But today’s companies take more into consideration in order to count themselves as successful – People and Planet. This is not just about the “feel good factor”. TBL enables companies to fully assess their overall performance and potential impact to their business from their interactions with their staff, the local and broader community and with the physical environment. For example, a company may be making the perfect product with great profit margins. This could be pointless if no one will buy from them because either they or one of their suppliers is known for exploiting underpaid workers or using child labour or polluting other communities. As seen recently, the cost of an environmental accident can go beyond clean up and downtime costs into rehabilitation, legal costs, compensation etc. If companies are guilty of taking advantage or not managing their environmental impact sufficiently, customer [...]